This little sweetheart of a snack is right on point with maple syrup season here in Ontario.

You might be experiencing a bit of a sweet craving and looking for a healthy choice, or finding that you need a nutrient dense snack to help you sail through the afternoon.

Enter Maple syrup almonds. Yes, they contain sugar in the form of Maple syrup (and so, sadly not suitable if you are on a candida cleanse diet), but they are also loaded with health fat, protein, fibre, calcium and magnesium.

You can stick with straight up almonds, as in this recipe or you could substitute roughly 1/3 of the almonds with raw pecans or walnuts. Still need more variety in your snack? Mix these with 3-4 squares of 70-80% dark chocolate (I like Zazubean Nudie) and/or dried organic blueberries or cranberries and/or raw or roasted pumpkin/ sunflower seeds.

Broth can be made of any type of bones that you like; chicken, turkey, beef, bison and wild game, lamb and fish (including fish heads) – seek bones from organically raised, pastured or grass-fed animals, and include collagen-rich choices such as chicken feet and turkey necks.

You can use leftover bones or get bones from your butcher or a local farmer.

Place bones in a pot. (roasting bones is optional, but will improve flavour)

Add 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar and enough water to cover bones.

Let stand for 20-30 minutes so the vinegar can leach the minerals from the bones/joints.

Back in my early days at naturopathic college, I was introduced to a little gem of a restaurant, called ‘Juice for Life’ (now, Fresh). They made the most divine cold-pressed juice and smoothies that I had even known, and introduced me to the divine combination of quinoa/brown rice, with loads of veggies, plant based protein, delicious sauce and accents like herbs, lemon, nuts and seeds – behold, the ‘Fresh bowl’.

What was soon to become my favourite was their ‘Green Goddess’ bowl – brown rice topped with steamed broccoli and greens, grilled tempeh, toasted sunflower seeds and pickled ginger, bathed in tahini dressing and a their ginger/soy sauce.

Here’s a dressing to get your raw apple cider vinegar on. It’s creamy from the beneficial sesame seeds (what tahini is made from) and almond butter—so absolutely no need for oil.

DIRECTIONS:
Put all the ingredients, except for the tahini and almond butter, in a blender and blend until smooth. Add the tahini and almond butter, and blend again until the dressing is thoroughly combined.

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Keep up those good eating habits! Be sure to include a rainbow assortment of veggies (think Vitamin C and Beta Carotene!), fresh herbs, nuts and seeds, extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil, homemade bone broth(!) – and remember to include a protein source with each meal.

Check your Vitamin D level and consider supplementation through the winter if indicated.

Do include a probiotic supplement or probiotic containing foods – Sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha, kefir and miso all fit this bill!

Do include immune boosting foods such as onions and garlic, ginger, turmeric, raw honey (only if not pregnant) and mushrooms.

Preheat oven to 350F.
2. In a small bowl, mix the chia seeds and water together. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl combine the dry ingredients.
4. In a food processor or blender, mix bananas, oil, vanilla, and maple syrup (you can also just mash everything together with a fork). Add chia gel and pulse to mix. Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients and stir until well combined.
5. Spread the batter evenly into a baking pan (mine was 9″ x 11″), and smooth out the top with the back of a spatula. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until edges are golden brown. Let cool completely, store in airtight container and keep in the refrigerator for longer shelf life. You can also freeze these – take one out half an hour before you want a perfect snack!

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Using your Vitamix or food processor make the walnut butter by pouring walnuts into the machine and blending until smooth. This can take up to 8 minutes, and scrape the sides every minute.

Using a wooden spoon, mix the walnut butter, maple syrup, and 4 eggs in a large bowl until smooth. Next add almond flour, baking soda, optional dried herbs, and flaxseed until combined.